In eighteenth century France new engraving techniques such as stippling and colour printing had produced impressive results in the ‘crayon’ and ‘pastel’ manner the hands of masters such as Bonnet. A significant part of Gainsborough’s practice and emotional energy was expended in drawing and he appears to have been attracted by printmaking techniques which replicated drawings. Gainsborough is perhaps the most technically inquisitive artist working in Britain in the eighteenth century, possibly with the exception of Stubbs who additionally mastered the art of enamelling.
This particular impression is carefully and evenly printed and is possibly an earlier version of the ‘second’ state before the numbering of the published plate ‘3’ which was added to the top left corner of the image. The present print, as published by Boydell, utilised Gainsborough’s original plate in conjunction with a separate plate below giving the address line and name of the artist. The first state which is of extreme rarity is known in three ‘proof’ impressions dating from 1780 which were printed by Gainsborough himself (Huntington Art Gallery and Library, San Marino, Yale Center for British Art, New Haven and British Museum, London).
The present plate was no 3 in the series and is regarded as the second state of two. This very rare print formed part of a series of twelve prints published by J & J Boydell.
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